1. Field
The present invention relates to a rechargeable battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Unlike a primary battery, a rechargeable battery can be repeatedly charged and discharged. A small capacity rechargeable battery may be used in small portable electronic devices such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer, and a camcorder, and a large capacity rechargeable battery may be used as a power source for driving a motor of a hybrid vehicle and the like.
Typically, a rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly formed by configuring a positive electrode and a negative electrode at both surfaces of a separator, a case accommodating the electrode assembly, a cap plate closing and sealing an opening of the case, and an terminal installed in the cap plate and electrically connected to the electrode assembly.
Sometimes, the terminal includes a rivet terminal connected to the electrode assembly and installed in a terminal hole of the cap plate, and a plate terminal disposed outside the cap plate and connected to the rivet terminal. The plate terminal includes a hole coupled with a rivet terminal.
For example, the plate terminal is manufactured by forming an outer peripheral portion of the plate terminal by a forging process and forming a hole through a cutting process. Since there is a need for the forging process and the cutting process to manufacture the plate terminal, the cost to manufacture the plate terminal, that is, an electrode terminal, is increased, and productivity is deteriorated. This increases a cost of the rechargeable battery.
Further, if the plate terminal is manufactured by a press process, a curvature radius substantially greater than a thickness of a plate terminal is formed at an edge part of the plate terminal. Accordingly, since mechanical strength of the plate terminal is deteriorated, and the plate terminal is spaced from a bus bar at a round part, a contact area between the plate terminal and the bus bar is reduced. In order to ensure stable mechanical strength and low electrical resistance, the plate terminal requires a large area.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.